Recharged and Revitalized: Prime Time’s Afterschool Symposium 2024 Celebrates the OST Field

Every May, Prime Time celebrates the out-of-school time field, programs and professionals. This year, more than 300 out-of-school time (OST) professionals gathered in West Palm Beach for the Afterschool Symposium. This year’s theme, Recharge & Revitalize: Amplify Your Impact in the Out-of-School Time Field, was dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of practitioners and offering workshops that allowed them to recenter and continue to grow. 

 The morning air buzzed with energy as practitioners from Palm Beach and Martin counties arrived. Before the event kicked off, networking began. Connections began as site directors greeted their Prime Time quality advisor, ELO providers checked in with afterschool counselors from the programs they had attended, and the day’s upcoming speakers mingled with the Prime Time Board of Directors. This event truly brings the entire OST network in South Florida together. 

Prime Time’s Afterschool Symposium began with its Professional Development Honorees where afterschool professionals were celebrated for continuing their education. Palm Beach State College’s President Ava L. Parker congratulated the honorees on their commitment to bettering themselves, furthering their education and continuing to advance the OST field.  

In 2022-2023 a total of nine people earned their School Age Professional Certificate, 22 received their Youth Development College Credit Certificate, 14 earned their Director Credentials and three directors renewed their Director Credentials. Nine degrees from Palm Beach State College were also awarded and celebrated during breakfast: three Associate Degrees in Human Services, four Bachelor in Human Services and two Bachelor Degrees in Supervision and Management. You can learn more about furthering your education through Prime Time’s ACHIEVE Program by clicking here. 

Professional development workshops were offered, giving attendees the opportunity to choose what session would be most beneficial to their own youth development practices.  

Race to Space was presented by Callie Sharkey and Lauren Pedic from the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County where they taught attendees how to play an award winning STEM boardgame and participants received their own copy of the game to take to play with the youth back at their programs.  

Nathalie Caycedo and Kasha Deese from SER-KALLAI, INC led Building Emotional Resilience from the Inside Out, sharing the basics of emotional intelligence, so those skills could not only be brought back to the practitioners program but so they could implement those skills themselves.  

Building Resilient Communities: Applied Behavior Analysis Strategies for Wellness and Engagement with Christian E. Sanon II and Daniel Norzea from Look Up Therapy taught attendees how to use applied behavior analysis to lead and motivate in OST programs.  

Climate Change Through Art presented by Lindsey Wuest and Katie Hendrickson from FAU, AD Henderson University School had participants got to actively draw native animals of Florida as they learned how to implement this art and science lesson at their sites. 

 Caleb Wesco from The #LetsGetMotivated Experience led a boisterous session about team work and boosting self-esteem in the children with whom we work.  

Serving in Purpose presented by SER-KALLAI, INC shared how to find your purpose through mindfulness.  

Mindful Movement and Breathwork with Greg Nardi from Yoga 4 Change was about mindful movement and breathing. Participants were given the opportunity to practice these new skills during the session.  

As everyone returned to the main ballroom for the Advancing Afterschool Awards the day’s Master of Ceremonies, Kitty Lundan. welcomed Symposium’s keynote speaker, Aaron Dworkin, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Summer Learning Association. Following Dworkin’s presentation on summer learning and its impact on the lives of children the final event of the day began, the Advancing Afterschool Awards began. 

The Advancing Afterschool Awards hosted by Prime Time's Director of Quality Improvement Teal Chance and The School District of Palm Beach County Director of Extended Learning Kiwana Howell honors exemplary individuals for their work in the field of afterschool and nominees were chosen by their peers and voted on by young people. The awards were presented to the following individuals: 

• The Amplifying Impact in Out-of-School Time Award - Shawn Ho-Hing-King, President/CEO of the Talented Teen Club 
• The Applying Quality Leadership in Out-of-School Time Award - Dana Morgenstern, Site Coordinator at Achievement Centers for Children and Families 
• The Cultivating Connections Award - Trudi Brown, Teacher at Hope Centennial Elementary Afterschool Program 
• The Dedicated to Implementing Quality by Afterschool Professional Award - Sarah Niston Nixon, Lead Afterschool Teacher at All About Kids 
• The Presenting Excellence in Expanded Learning Award - Will Rhymes, Music Teacher at Young Singers of the Palm Beaches 
• The Together in Community Award - Suzy Karen, Mentor at the Fuller Center 

Congratulations again to the winners and all the nominees. 

The Afterschool Symposium was made possible by our generous sponsors: The Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach State College, Mizzen Education and Grant Thorton. 

Next year’s Afterschool Symposium will be held on Friday, May 9, 2025, we hope to see you there.  

View the full gallery here.